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White Chocolate Funfetti Birthday Bomb!

1/8/2021

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thanks for your support!
White Chocolate Funfetti Birthday Hot Cocoa Bomb
     The holidays are over, but in most parts of the country, the cold weather is not! There are still plenty of reasons to enjoy Hot Cocoa Bombs. When I found these White Funfetti Chips in our local grocery store, I knew that White Chocolate Funfetti Birthday Bombs for the Winter Birthdays would be an awesome idea! 
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      In ourFall Flavors Hot Cocoa Bomb Book, available in our Etsy Shop, I explain that different types of chocolate act differently when you melt them and try to put them into the molds.  I was a little unsure about how Funfetti Morsels would work, because white chocolate is usually very hard to get to cling to the mold if it is melted to too high of a temperature.  But, I was so pleasantly surprised at how well these funfetti chips worked in the molds.  There wasn't a lot of pooling in the bottom of the mold and the white chocolate, mixed with the funfetti sprinkles,  kept its shape very well.  
     I want to let you in on how the process works when we come up with new flavors and designs of Hot Cocoa Bombs.  
     First of all, I needed to decide what flavor to put inside of these Birthday Bombs.  When I tasted the chips themselves, I didn't really get a birthday cake flavor, simply white chocolate.  I thought to myself that banana flavor might go great with them.  When I asked the girls what they thought, they thought vanilla or cheesecake.  So, I made a few of each flavor.  Guess what, they all tasted good!  I used Jello Instant Pudding in various flavors to add the flavor to these Bombs. I wanted the color to be light so that other surprises could happen when the Bomb is melted into the milk. You can flavor them however you would like! Here are the 3 things that I did:
  • Marshmallows with Banana Instant Pudding
  • Marshmallows with Sugar Free Vanilla Instant Pudding
  • Marshmallows with cake mix and White Chocolate Cheesecake Instant Pudding
     Second, I had a giant swirling colored marshmallow that  Maddy had brought over and we thought it would be great for Hot Cocoa Bombs that were decorated for birthdays or a unicorn effect.  Since it was a giant marshmallow, I had to cut it into small squares with a hot knife.  I heated the knife on my stove and cut up the marshmallow.  I tossed the sticky cut edges in yellow cake mix.  My thought was that the cake mix taste might come out a bit, but in the end the pudding taste won out, which was still delicious.  You could also use those fruit flavored multi-colored marshmallows instead.
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     Third, I had to decide how I wanted to decorate them!  I thought I would pipe on stars and make them look like a birthday cake! A star on top with a gold sprinkle would be like a candle.  WELL, that was less than successful! My family was split in the decision that I should do something different when they saw the pictures! Here is one of the original pics.  I leave you to your own thoughts. 
Birthday Hot Cocoa Bomb
     So, I changed the look by adding more sprinkles.  I rolled some of the bottoms along the bottom sides, others, I just sprinkled more on the top.  Remember, these are my first prototypes of these Birthday Bombs. 
Birthday Hot Cocoa Bomb
     Of course, the fun part is testing the bombs to see how they melt into the hot milk and how they taste!  All of these blue sprinkles turned the milk blue right away! I know kids will love that! Then there were some bubbles and the best part is always when the marshmallows pop up to the top! 
Birthday Hot Cocoa Bomb
     We usually make our Hot Cocoa Bombs in the traditional bomb shape.  But, we have been known to make them in other shapes as well.  We have done Christmas Trees and this year Maddy made some Star Wars Ship shaped ones. (Those would be great for a Star Wars or Outer Space themed party!)  I have seen people making a lot of pretty round ones as well.  I have a one inch round mold that I used to make chocolate bells for the 12 Days of Christmas.  I decided to make smaller Hot Cocoa Bombs for the smaller kids, since our normal Bombs make a large mug of Hot Cocoa.  They came out pretty cute.  
Child Sized Birthday Hot Cocoa Bomb
I think that at a snowy day birthday party, these fancy snowballs would be a welcome treat.  For young children, I like to have them drop their Hot Cocoa Bomb into a hot cup of milk that has a lid.  They can stir it, or you can help them stir it and they can watch the marshmallows pop up.  Then, add some cold milk to cool the drink down and pop on the lid and add a straw!  Saves on a lot of mess and the kids love Hot Cocoa! 
     The beauty of this process is that you can create Hot Cocoa Bombs in any shape or flavor that you would like! Use milk or semi-sweet chocolate and flavor them with peppermint or peanut butter.  You can find all kinds of ideas in our books in our Etsy Shop, as well as tips to make it easier.  We also put out a new YouTube video this year that gives more tips.  
     If you have anyone with a winter-time birthday, make them some special birthday Hot Cocoa Bombs!  What a great treat! And, let us know how your Cocoa Bomb making is going.
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12+ Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs for Christmas

11/27/2020

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This post contains affiliate links. We will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no extra cost to you. All views expressed are our own.
   Last year, I posted this as the 10+ days of Hot Cocoa Bombs.  Since then, we've come up with more flavors and ideas for Hot Cocoa Bombs and published a new e-book to teach you how to make the new flavors.  So, I thought I would update these gift giving ideas.  Many people have ordered and purchased them from me to use as simple friend gifts or teachers gifts.  They have become a tradition for many over the last few years.  You could even go to our Etsy shop and purchase one or two of our books and give it as a gift along with the mold and perhaps some marshmallows as well.  Or, just the book and a few bombs that you made yourself! As you look through this post, I hope it gets your creative juices flowing.  FOR BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY WE HAVE SOME GREAT SALES HAPPENING, SO DON'T MISS OUT! 
12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs
    Since we came up with the idea for Hot Cocoa Bombs©, Christmas just isn't Christmas without them.  Last year for Christmas, I gave each of my kid's families their own Hot Cocoa Bomb© kit so that they can make their own without waiting for me to give them some Cocoa Bomb deliciousness.  (You can order your own Cocoa Bomb Mold here and the Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book© here, as well as the new Fall Flavors Hot Cocoa Bomb Book.) The mold is currently out of stock.
   Last year, we didn't take part in a craft show where we sold Hot Cocoa Bombs and a number of people contacted me to find out why not!  I felt bad about it because so many people use Hot Cocoa Bombs as gifts to teachers and neighbors.  I did create a collection of bombs for a friend to give to her High School Choir class.  This year, we hosted a Craft Boutique on Facebook and actually sold Hot Cocoa Bombs from our shop! If you would like to do some Christmas Shopping, the boutique links are still open. so click on over there!   
     At this point of this 2020 year,  we have created more flavors that will be awesome to give as gifts.  So, I present to you The 12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs
©! Now, All you have to do is decide which ones you would choose to fill your stockings for the 12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bomb Christmas! 
The 12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs©!
     On the first day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas my true love gave to me an Original Hot Cocoa Bomb under my tree! (click to the link of our original post). 
12 Days of Hot Cocoa Bombs
This is one of our original pictures ever, taken by LIndsey. It is still one of my favorites. We add sprinkles now, but these look so good!
    On the the next 3 days of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, he gave me some spice! Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon and Gingerbread really are nice! (Every year the decorations on the bombs change!)
    On the 5th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I got something to help me sing! A Hot Cocoa Bomb© with a peppermint zing! 
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     On the 6th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I got something salty and sweet!  A salted Caramel cocoa bomb to sip, not to eat!  (Here is an opportunity to enlarge this gift with whipped cream and salted caramel syrup!) 
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Only 1 snowflake marshmallow will fit inside a Hot Cocoa Bomb, so giving a baggie with extras is always nice.
    On the 7th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I knew he loved me like "no udder," when he gave me a bomb made with peanut butter!  
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This year, Reese's Pieces Polka Dots!
Hazelnut Hot Cocoa Bomb Christmas gift
Or, break out of the rut and give Hazelnut!
     On the 8th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas my love put in my mug to steam, a bomb made of Cookies and Cream! (This was a new flavor last year! A  mug is an obvious gift to go with a Hot Cocoa Bomb©.)
12 days of Hot Cocoa Bombs
You may have figured out that my true love is worth his salt!  He gave me a Hot Cocoa Bomb with chocolate malt! 
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YUM!
     On the 10th Day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas, my true love passed the test when he gave be a Cherry Cordial Bomb, it's the BEST! 
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    On the 11th day of Cocoa Bomb Christmas I couldn't let my true love forget the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cocoa Bomb with a video yet! (The video shows you how to make them!) 
Original Hot Cocoa Bomb Gifts
    On the 12th day of Hot Cocoa Bomb Christmas, I was filled with cheer when he gave me a Magical Butterscotch Bomb, or in other words, Butterbeer! 
Original Hot cocoa Bomb Gifts
With an obvious reference to Harry Potter, fans of the young wizard will love this cocoa bomb. Gift it with a book or other Potter memorabilia. A Hot Cocoa Bomb is the perfect thing to sip on while reading a Wizarding Book!
    Here is a final bonus flavor to help you celebrate the New Year! Tuxedo Black and White!  Now, this bomb has class! 
Original Hot Cocoa Bomb Gifts
Here are a few more gifting ideas! 
     
  • Create a new flavor of your own!  We are thinking of a chocolate orange flavor, for example.
  • ​Give a bundle of stir sticks and a mug with your bombs.  I like to make the chocolate owls on sticks with leftover chocolate from the bombs.  Or you could make chocolate spoons. 
  • How about some coasters to set their mugs on?  Or even an electric coaster to keep the cocoa warm! 
Original Hot Cocoa Bomb Gifts
I make these with leftover chocolate from making the bombs and use a coffee stirrer as the stick. You could also use a sucker stick or Popsicle stick and whatever mold you would like.
  • Make a gift basket of Hot Cocoa Bombs and lots of extra toppings!  After everyone watches the bubbling and the marshmallows pop up and they are finished stirring, then add whipped cream, extra marshmallows, sprinkles...the ideas are endless! 
  • Cookies to dip into the Hot Cocoa would be a welcome way to round out your gift! (I'll have to suggest that to my true love for next year!)
  • If you want a more elaborate gift, a milk frother/Hot Cocoa maker is great to use to heat the milk for multiple Hot Cocoa Bombs.  My son and DIL gave me a Cocoa Motion  the Christmas after we invented Hot Cocoa Bombs and I love it! Unfortunately, it isn't currently available on Amazon.  Making the milk frothy which adds to the festive nature of the drink! 
    Now, all you have to do is wrap them up (or not, but I do and I use these bags), create your own label and present them in a box, or on a tray (another gift!) or on a pear tree! Oh!  I just thought of that!  They could hang like little ornaments! 
Original Hot Cocoa Bomb Gifts
  I would love to see pictures and ideas of your Hot Cocoa Bombs© and how you decorate and present them! Trust me, they are going to be a gift that people will want year after year! 
​

    Don't forget that you can print these sweet gift tags and how to prepare a bomb directions from our printable page.  Just click the button! 
Cocoa Bomb Tags
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3 Winks Black Friday Sale

11/18/2020

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!
3 Winks Black Friday Sale 15% off and 50% off Hot Cocoa Bombs
If you're looking for some great Black Friday deals we've got you covered!

In our Etsy shop November 27-Dec 1 we'll be having a 15% off sale on EVERYTHING in our shop! We make and sell items you can print at home, including recipe books, home decor, coloring posters, and more. They make great gifts for loved ones, or yourself.

Below I'll give you a preview of our most popular items.

Black Friday Sale

The Original Hot Cocoa Bomb Books

How to make Hot Cocoa Bombs
Hot cocoa bombs Fall Favorites
The best sellers in our shop are by far our Hot Cocoa Bomb books and with good reason. It seems like everyone is talking about Hot Cocoa Bombs lately and we have perfected them. We happily share how to make them in our two books: How To Make Hot Cocoa Bombs and Hot Cocoa Bombs: Fall Favorites. 
We're often asked about the difference between the two books. The original booklet is just the basic recipe and some decorating and flavor ideas. The Fall Favorites book has 8 recipes for different flavors, and tips for working with chocolate.

Coloring Posters

Christmas in Lockdown coloring advent Calendar
Adventures with Grandparents coloring poster
Our coloring Christmas countdown calendar is just the thing to help you get through Christmas social distancing style. Everyday there's a different activity for you to do with your family and you can color in the ornament everyday that corresponds to the activity. Learn more about it here!
We also have a coloring poster for grandparents to give to their grandchildren. It's full of activities for grandparents and grandchildren to do together. This would be perfect to give as a promise of post-Covid quality time together. Experience gifts are the gifts that get remembered forever! (And if a poster isn't your style, it comes in book form too!) Learn more about it here!

Hot Cocoa bombs

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Last but not least we have our Hot Cocoa Bombs! We decided to sell our leftover bombs or bombs that didn't exactly meet our standards for 50% off!!! That means the bombs will be $1.50!!! Our Hot Cocoa Bombs are perfect for stockings for a delicious drink on Christmas Morning. 
So be sure to check out our Etsy shop Nov 27-Dec 1 to get these and more on an awesome deal for Black Friday Weekend!
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A 3 Winks Virtual Craft Show

10/21/2020

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2020 has definitely been a rough year for everyone, and those of us with a small business are definitely no exception. The holidays of the past have often been the busiest time of the year for many of us, in large part due to holiday craft shows. 

Many of those shows just won't be happening this year.

So we thought, why not host a virtual one? We can all hang out online for three days, have some giveaways, interact with and support cool small business owners, and get our holiday shopping done!

So... we are!

We will be hosting the 3 Winks Holly & Mistletoe Boutique this November 19-21, and we have teamed up with so many incredible vendors from a wide variety of businesses and shops. There's really something for everyone!

If you're interested in joining, be sure to join the Facebook group and turn on notifications so you don't miss anything. 

Here's a list of our vendors!

Livvy Lou's Bow Shoppe
Polished and Purdy with Andrea
Jaci Hibshman with doTerra Essential Oils
Last Yesterday
Solo Wood Design
Lori's Card Creations
Bibs4Littles
Tara Fritz with Rodan and Fields
Sew Unique
Wreaths by Shalonda Alexander
Residual Resin
Craftastico
Color Me Culturally Confident
Sweet Louize
Zuckerman's Creations
Tara Fritz Art
Children's Culinary Institute
Baked in America

Plus one more surprise...

Typically, we only sell our hot cocoa bombs locally at craft fairs. This year, the Original Hot Cocoa Bomb will be available in our Etsy shop for the 3 days of the craft fair. Our available flavors will be:
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Original
Cinnamon
Salted Caramel
Cherry Cordial
Butterscotch
Gingerbread
Peppermint
and Hazelnut

These will be sold in packs of 4-12. Stop by early to make sure you get the flavors you want!

So who's excited? We definitely are! Will we see you there? Let us know in the comments!
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    Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs!  (copyrighted)
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    Author

    Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven!  I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born.  Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out!  Read more about us here!
        

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    Click this link and visit 3WinksDesignShop on Etsy. Find our Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book, our For the Love of PIe e-book and more of our creations!


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